Amy Sherald: American Sublime Becomes Highest Attended BMA Exhibition Since 2000

Attendance record signals extraordinary public response to Sherald’s work

BALTIMORE, MD (April 8, 2026)—The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) today announced attendance for the Amy Sherald: American Sublime exhibition has surpassed every other exhibition presented at the museum in the 21st century, a landmark moment in the BMA’s history. With 84,000 visitors, attendance more than doubled the museum’s original projection of 40,000, reflecting the extraordinary public response to Sherald’s work. This positions American Sublime among the highest‑attended exhibitions the BMA has presented. The closest exhibition since 2000 was Matisse/Diebenkorn (2016–17), which welcomed 46,000 visitors.

Baltimore’s enthusiasm for the exhibition began in September 2025 when the BMA announced it would become the third venue following the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Demand for tickets was immediate and remained consistent throughout the 22-week run of the show with most days sold out. Visitors came from 47 states, Washington D.C., and several countries, as well as from Baltimore City and every county in Maryland. The exhibition also welcomed 8,600 students who participated in 297 school groups of all ages from preschool through medical school.

Amy Sherald: American Sublime also generated meaningful impact across the museum beyond attendance, including a 57% increase in memberships compared to the previous year. The exhibition catalog was entirely sold out by the end of December. With the March reprint, the BMA Shop has now sold 4,700 copies. American Sublime also contributed to the record $1.2 million raised at the BMA Ball, an event planned long before the museum’s exhibition announcement. Sherald was celebrated as one of this year’s artist honorees.

“The response to Amy Sherald: American Sublime has been remarkable. This exhibition resonated so powerfully because Sherald is one of our country’s foremost figurative painters and her work speaks with clarity, dignity, and emotional truth—inviting visitors to see both themselves and this country more fully,” said Asma Naeem, BMA Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director. “That so many people came from across Maryland, the nation, and beyond underscores the desire for art that reflects lived experience and expands our collective imagination. We are especially inspired by the thousands of first‑time visitors and new members who discovered the BMA through this exhibition, and we look forward to welcoming them back as part of our growing museum community.”

The fourth and final venue for American Sublime is the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, which is presenting the exhibition from May 15 through September 27, 2026.

Amy Sherald: American Sublime was organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and curated by Sarah Roberts, SFMOMA’s former Andrew W. Mellon Curator and Head of Painting and Sculpture. It premiered at SFMOMA in fall 2024 and traveled to the Whitney Museum of American Art in spring 2025. The BMA’s presentation is organized by Asma Naeem, Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director, with Cecilia Wichmann, Curator and Department Head of Contemporary Art; Antoinette Roberts, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art; and Dylan Kaleikaumaka Hill, Meyerhoff-Becker Curatorial Fellow.

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About the Baltimore Museum of Art

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.